Porto, Portugal
Porto is a lovely city, with delightful food, wine, people and of course Port!
Both north and south of the river have low-level parts by the water, with much of the rest at higher level. Walking between high and low requires enthusiasm for quite steep cobbled roads and footpaths.
The Yeatman hotel is outstanding. Through careful training they have achieved a highly professional service whilst maintaining a pleasantly informal ambiance. It is built on a hillside so everywhere on property has amazing views. There is the gastronomic 2 star Michelin restaurant with tasting menus. The second restaurant has a la carte dishes prepared by the same chefs and kitchen but a more relaxed atmosphere.
A real plus is the bar, which also serves a wide variety of food, much less formally, both at lunchtime and in the evening. They ask when you arrive if you will be eating, so you can have a table for proper food or the usual bar seating for drinks and snacks.
It wouldn’t seem right to spend time in Porto without properly trying port. With so many port companies offering tours of their cellars we took advice from the concierge, and booked Graham’s. There is only one tour, but many choices of tasting, according to your inclination and budget. For us the 30 year old tawny was the highlight; available, naturally, in the Graham’s shop, or from Amazon!
For a weekend break with a beautiful city to explore Porto was wonderful and so much more than just Port tasting although we certainly gave that our full attention too
Guest inspiration by Jonathan Levy
